IPL 2026 Retention: Full Squad Lists, Big Trades and Auction Purses before the Abu Dhabi Auction
The retention window for TATA IPL 2026 is done, and the picture is finally clear. All ten franchises have sent their lists to the BCCI, with 173 players retained in total, including 49 overseas, and 77 slots now open for the auction. The IPL confirmed that the IPL 2026 Player Auction will be held on 16 December at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, setting up a high-stakes night with ₹237.55 crore still left in the collective purse.
Punjab Kings have gone for stability with 21 players retained, the biggest squad so far, while Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans have held on to 20 players each. At the other end of the scale, Kolkata Knight Riders have only 12 players retained but also walk into the auction with the biggest purse – ₹64.3 crore – and 13 slots to fill, making them one of the most dangerous teams on auction night.
The big picture: purse, slots and strategy
The squads and purse distribution tell you how each team is thinking:
- Total retained players: 173
- Overseas retained: 49
- Total money already spent: ₹1012.45 crore
- Money left for auction: ₹237.55 crore
- Total remaining slots: 77 (31 of those are overseas spots)
| Franchise | No of Players Retained | No of Overseas Players | Total Money Spent (₹ Cr.) | Salary Cap Available (₹ Cr.) | Available Slots | Overseas Slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSK | 16 | 4 | 81.6 | 43.4 | 9 | 4 |
| DC | 17 | 3 | 103.2 | 21.8 | 8 | 5 |
| GT | 20 | 4 | 112.1 | 12.9 | 5 | 4 |
| KKR | 12 | 2 | 60.7 | 64.3 | 13 | 6 |
| LSG | 19 | 4 | 102.05 | 22.95 | 6 | 4 |
| MI | 20 | 7 | 122.25 | 2.75 | 5 | 1 |
| PBKS | 21 | 6 | 113.5 | 11.5 | 4 | 2 |
| RCB | 17 | 6 | 108.6 | 16.4 | 8 | 2 |
| RR | 16 | 7 | 108.95 | 16.05 | 9 | 1 |
| SRH | 15 | 6 | 99.5 | 25.5 | 10 | 2 |
Two quick takeaways:
- A lot of teams have trusted their existing core, so don’t expect a complete reboot at the auction.
- With so many squads already near the 20-player mark, the focus in Abu Dhabi will be on very specific roles (death bowling, Indian middle-order hitters, backup keepers, off-spin all-rounders), not full rebuilds.
Team-by-team retention story
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
CSK have retained 16 players and kept a healthy ₹43.4 crore in the purse with 9 slots free, including 4 overseas. IPL T20 They now have Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni as the familiar spine, but the big twist is Sanju Samson arriving via trade plus overseas pieces like Noor Ahmad and Dewald Brevis. It’s a mix of legacy plus a small reboot in the middle order and spin.
| MS Dhoni | Shreyas Gopal | Sanju Samson (T) | *Jamie Overton | *Nathan Ellis | Syed Khaleel Ahmed |
| Shivam Dube | Ruturaj Gaikwad | Mukesh Choudhary | *Noor Ahmad | *Dewald Brevis | Gurjapneet Singh |
| Ramakrishna Ghosh | Urvil Patel | Anshul Kamboj | Ayush Mhatre |
Delhi Capitals (DC)
DC have gone in with 17 retained, led by Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and KL Rahul. They’ve also locked in overseas firepower in Mitchell Starc and Tristan Stubbs, keeping a balanced Indian-overseas mix but with only ₹21.8 crore left and 8 slots to fill.
Gujarat Titans (GT)
GT are loaded with 20 retained players and just ₹12.9 crore left. Their core is stacked: Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, and overseas names like Jos Buttler and Kagiso Rabada. IPL T20 They’re clearly backing their squad and will only tweak at the auction.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
KKR are the most interesting auction team: only 12 players retained, but a huge ₹64.3 crore purse and 13 slots with 6 overseas spots open. IPL T20 They’ve kept Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy and Harshit Rana, while earlier reports around big names like Venkatesh Iyer potentially being released match the idea of a fresh financial reset.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
LSG have gone very all-in on an all-rounder heavy unit: 19 retained players, including Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav and Mohammed Shami (trade), plus Rishabh Pant in that group. IPL T20+1 With ₹22.95 crore left and 6 slots free, they’ll mostly look to plug depth rather than headline buys.
Mumbai Indians (MI)
MI have kept 20 players, but only ₹2.75 crore is left in their purse, with 5 slots and just 1 overseas spot. IPL T20 They’ve retained a star-heavy list: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Will Jacks, Sherfane Rutherford (trade) and more. This looks like a “run it back” roster – they’ll rely on trades and smart low-budget picks rather than big bidding wars.
Punjab Kings (PBKS)
With 21 retained players and ₹11.5 crore still free, PBKS have essentially built their entire squad early. IPL T20 They’ve kept key pieces like Arshdeep Singh, Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal and a long list of all-rounder/pace options including Marcus Stoinis and Xavier Bartlett. They’ll go into the auction looking for a couple of high-impact finishers or role players.
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
RR might be the story franchise of this retention window. They’ve retained 16 players including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel and added Ravindra Jadeja plus Sam Curran via trades, alongside overseas quicks like Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger. IPL T20+1 With ₹16.05 crore left, they’ll target specific gaps, but their first-XI core looks very strong on paper.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
RCB keep 17 players and have ₹16.4 crore in hand. Virat Kohli remains central, joined by Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal and Jitesh Sharma in the batting group, plus overseas names like Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Tim David and Romario Shepherd. IPL T20 The retention pattern suggests RCB are betting on continuity after their 2025 title run rather than another big churn.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
SRH have retained 15 players with a healthy ₹25.5 crore left and 10 slots to fill. Their retained core is packed with star power: Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ishan Kishan. IPL T20 They’ve also picked up Brydon Carse and some interesting bowling options. Expect them to chase depth, not superstars.
Biggest storylines from IPL 2026 retention
Jadeja to Royals, Samson to CSK – trade shake-up
The Jadeja–Samson trade headlines this retention cycle. CSK move on from one of their most iconic all-rounders, while RR gain a proven match-winner and also send their long-time captain Samson the other way. The IPL list clearly reflects both trades as part of the retained squads.
KKR’s massive purse and mini-rebuild
By trimming their squad to just 12 retained players, KKR have effectively set themselves up to be the auction disruptors. With the largest kitty and plenty of slots (including 6 overseas), they can outbid others for a marquee all-rounder or a high-end overseas quick.
MI and GT almost “locked in”
Both Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans have near-full squads and low purse remaining. This usually means low drama on auction night from them, but both can still pull off one or two clever bargain signings or trades.
LSG’s all-rounder heavy model
LSG holding on to players like Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Mayank Yadav and Mohammed Shami shows a clear strategy: flexible all-round options and strong pace depth. They’ve doubled down on multi-skill cricketers.
What this means for the IPL 2026 auction
Because so many big names are already retained, the 2026 auction will be about roles, not just names:
- High-pace Indian quicks and death bowlers will be in demand.
- Teams like KKR and SRH, with big purses, can drive bidding for a player like Cameron Green-type profile – pace-bowling all-rounders who bat in the top six.
- Spin-bowling all-rounders and middle-order Indian hitters remain hot property, especially for teams that have loaded their top order with retained stars.
Strategically, the retention window tells you that most franchises believe they are one or two pieces short, not miles away. The real drama now shifts to Abu Dhabi, where those gaps will be filled – or exposed.
